Help with finding least upper bounds and greatest lower bounds?

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In summary, a least upper bound, or supremum, is the smallest number that is greater than or equal to all elements in a set. To find the least upper bound, you can arrange the elements in ascending order and the last element in the list will be the least upper bound. Similarly, a greatest lower bound, or infimum, is the largest number that is less than or equal to all elements in a set. To determine the greatest lower bound, you can arrange the elements in descending order and the last element will be the greatest lower bound. It is possible for a set to have more than one least upper bound or greatest lower bound, especially when the set is infinite or when the elements are not totally ordered.
  • #1
mgnymph
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Homework Statement



Solve the following inequalities and express the solution(s) in interval notation and set builder notation. For each of these, state the least upper bound and greatest lower bounds, if these exist.


Homework Equations



i) x^3 + x^2 > 2x


ii) l 2 - x l =< 4
(modulus of 2 - x is greater than or equal to 4)

The Attempt at a Solution



So for (i), I factorised so

x^3 + x^2 - 2x > 0
x(x^2 + x -2) > 0
x(x+2)(x-1) > 0

I am really unsure what interval notation and set builder notation are, but I think...
Interval notation: x E (-2,0) U (1 , infinity)
Set builder notation: {x : -2 < x < 0 or x > 1}

And I don't know how to find the bounds...

(ii) l 2 - x l =< 4
-4 =< 2 - x =< 4

-6 =< x =< 2

interval notation: x E [-2,6]
set builder notation: {x: -2 =< x =< 6}

and... i don't know how to find the least upper bounds/greatest lower bounds for this either.

=/
 
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  • #2
mgnymph said:

Homework Statement



Solve the following inequalities and express the solution(s) in interval notation and set builder notation. For each of these, state the least upper bound and greatest lower bounds, if these exist.


Homework Equations



i) x^3 + x^2 > 2x


ii) l 2 - x l =< 4
(modulus of 2 - x is greater than or equal to 4)

The Attempt at a Solution



So for (i), I factorised so

x^3 + x^2 - 2x > 0
x(x^2 + x -2) > 0
x(x+2)(x-1) > 0

I am really unsure what interval notation and set builder notation are, but I think...
Interval notation: x E (-2,0) U (1 , infinity)
Set builder notation: {x : -2 < x < 0 or x > 1}
This looks fine. For the least upper bound and greatest lower bound, I think the problem is asking what they are for each of the two intervals. For the interval (-2, 0), the glb is -2 and the lub is 0. Since the interval is open, these bounds are not included in the interval.
For the interval (1, infinity), there is no upper bound, so there isn't a least upper bound. The greatest lower bound is 1, which is not an element of this interval.
mgnymph said:
And I don't know how to find the bounds...

(ii) l 2 - x l =< 4
-4 =< 2 - x =< 4
So far so good in your inequality above. You've made a mistake in the one below, though. Add -2 to each member of the inequality and you get -6 <= -x <= 2. If you then multiply each member of the inequality by -1, what happens to the direction of the inequality symbols?
mgnymph said:
-6 =< x =< 2

interval notation: x E [-2,6]
set builder notation: {x: -2 =< x =< 6}

and... i don't know how to find the least upper bounds/greatest lower bounds for this either.

=/
I think they'll be the two endpoints of the correct interval.
 

1. What is a least upper bound?

A least upper bound, also known as a supremum, is the smallest number that is greater than or equal to all elements in a set. It is denoted by sup(S).

2. How do you find the least upper bound?

To find the least upper bound of a set, you can start by arranging the elements in ascending order. Then, the last element in the list will be the least upper bound.

3. What is a greatest lower bound?

A greatest lower bound, also known as an infimum, is the largest number that is less than or equal to all elements in a set. It is denoted by inf(S).

4. How can I determine the greatest lower bound of a set?

Similar to finding the least upper bound, you can start by arranging the elements in descending order and the last element will be the greatest lower bound.

5. Can a set have more than one least upper bound or greatest lower bound?

Yes, it is possible for a set to have more than one least upper bound or greatest lower bound. This can happen when the set is infinite or when the elements are not totally ordered.

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